Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin should be in no rush to return to racing after undergoing surgery to repair fractures in his left foot and left hand following a heavy crash during training in Spain, Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia said.
Martin, who is making the switch to Aprilia this season after leaving Prima Pramac Racing, will miss at least the first two races in Thailand and Argentina.
The 27-year-old also had an operation earlier this month after breaking his right foot and right hand in a crash in Malaysia.
Italian Bagnaia, 28, told reporters ahead of the weekend’s season-opening Thailand Grand Prix that he had reached out to Martin via text.
“The only thing that I want to say to him, and I said also to him, is to keep calm, no rush, it’s a long recovery and… if he will have another incident before being fully fit he can put his career more at risk,” twice MotoGP champion Bagnaia said.
“So, sometimes it’s better to wait and not rush.”
Bagnaia’s new Ducati teammate, six-times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez, has also advised Martin to respect his body.
Bagnaia spoke about his new partnership with Marquez, who has joined the Ducati factory team on a two-year deal after a hugely-successful stint with Honda.
“It’s not a secret that we both want to win the championship – we are here for that, and the ambition in our team is to win the championship,” Bagnaia added. “So, we will have to do the maximum, I think many times this season we will fight.”
